Emily Blunt: My Character On The Girl On the Train Is Not Likeable

Females are now comfortable taking the protagonist role in psychological thrillers. From the Swedish Millennium series that spawned three films beginning with The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (including an American remake) and 2014's highly acclaimed Gone Girl starring Rosamund Pike and Ben Affleck, the taboo of centering a woman at the heart of the violence, drama and tension is now a thing of the past.

Emily Blunt spoke with THR about these topics with her flick The Girl On the Train hitting cinemas this week. The 33-year old English actress is accustomed to pushing the boundaries in her own career. Case in point being the 2015 crime blockbuster Sicario alongside Benicio Del Toro and Josh Brolin.

Emily Speaks Bluntly About Needing To Be Always Liked

Whilst the trailer of the movie intimates that her character Rachel might have some involvement in a potential murder, the ambiguity is something Blunt is more than comfortable with.

“With so many movies, women are held to what a man considers a feminine ideal,” begins Blunt. “You have to be pretty. You have to be ‘likable,’ which is my least favorite bloody word in the industry. Rachel isn’t ‘likable.’ What does that mean? To be witty and pretty and hold it together and be there for the guy? And he can just be a total drip?”

Author Paula Hawkins took this a step further, defending the casting of Emily Blunt and explaining why she is important to the tone of the story.

“People say, ‘Oh, she’s way too beautiful to play her,’ “ says Hawkins. “But that doesn’t matter. The thing about Rachel is her self-loathing, about what she feels about herself, and Emily really brought that out in the way she carries herself. All that damage is visible.”

Blunt To Plug Movie By Hosting SNL

TV Line reports that The Girl On the Train star will promote the production when she steps out to host SNL for the very first time a week after opening. The big stage is always a popular feeding frenzy and the live audience environment will be a unique setting to plug the thriller to the US box office crowd.

This news comes as Alec Baldwin preps to spoof Donald Trump on the program, according to CNN. Political roasting has always been a common feature on the skit show and the 30 Rock star will have plenty of material to work with following the first presidential debate just past. It's going to be HUGE!